The Updated 2017 Toyota RAV4

The Japanese auto giant presented the restyled version of the 2017 Toyota RAV4 model in Frankfurt, Germany last autumn. The US market met with a novelty on the New York Auto Show last spring, but here to Europe it came just now.

The Design and Dimensions

The car didn’t get any fundamental changes, but certainly, it has become more modern. The new sports body is one of the major improvements; its structure has been complemented by the composite metals. This solution has enabled not only reducing the overall weight of the vehicle, but also increasing its dynamics significantly.

The 2017 Toyota RAV4 differs from its “older brothers” by some innovations:

New and nice-looking headlight optics;

The changed front part;

Modern xenon;

Stop lamps and parking lights, which look much more attractive;

The Luggage compartment lid opening upwards, and not sideways;

New wheel disks;

New bumpers;

Rather noticeable thresholds;

The narrowed grille, which copies the design of the bonnet;

Distinct headlamps and tail lights;

Three new color variants of the body.

If you look closely at the numerous nuances of the Japanese novelty appearance, some details are questionable. Many would agree that the changed and more streamlined front part has made the car look more aggressive. However, what effect of applying such a narrow grille is unclear. As for the dimensions, the crossover has become slightly larger:

Length – 4.57 m;

Width – 1.84 m;

Height – 1.67 m;

Wheelbase – 2,66 m;

Ground clearance has increased to 19.1 cm.

The Interior

The changes have touched the interior of the new RAV4. The interior trim has been significantly modified, largely due to higher-quality materials. Various versions will be maintained in diverse variants of interior design, the final look depends on the customer’s desires and wallet. What will remain unchanged are a new Noise Isolation System and the increased torpedo, which is decorated with a full color 4.2-inch screen.

The steering wheel cover is made of a pleasant to touch skin, and the unit functionality has considerably increased due to the additional buttons of various vehicle functions control. The window regulators have been updated, now they are modern and bright. Moreover, the 12- volt outlet as well as the additional USB outputs can be found in the new 2017 Toyota interior.

As for its electric component, the car has been greatly modernized. All information displayed on the dashboard is now available in an easy and intuitive manner by eliminating the blurring effect. The following data will be available for the driver:

the average and current fuel consumption;

the battery charge level;

the gearbox shift;

the atmospheric air pressure in the tires, etc.

Modern multimedia system with 7-inch display and a built-in navigation will add youthful look to the control panel. In addition, here you can control the “bird’s-eye” view system, which assists the driver by demonstrating the panoramic image of vehicle surrounding by means of four mounted cameras. The car parking system as well as the ability to start the engine with a button is also provided by the manufacturer.

The crossover is also equipped with a modern oncoming pedestrian recognition system, the intelligent cruise control function and the Emergency Braking system. The Park Assistant function helps inexperienced drivers with parallel parking.

Due to the increased dimensions as well as the rational interior equipment placement, engineers have increased the capacity of the car – it reaches 2,000 liters with the folded seats. The rear passengers, sitting in the spacious SUV cabin, will feel more comfortable thanks to the reducing of the front seat backrest’s thickness.

The Powertrains

The 2017 Toyota RAV4 will remain with the same types of engines. Russian customers will face a choice among three different versions:

The two-liter petrol power unit, producing 146 hp;

The 2.5-liter engine with an output of 180 hp;

The 2.2-liter diesel engine with 150 hp.

As for the transmission, then the selection will consist of the same number of points:

A six-speed manual gearbox;

A continuously variable transmission (CVT);

A six-speed automatic gearbox.

The car is equipped with two types of drives: the front and the full. The 2017 Toyota RAV4 is a relatively quick car with good dynamics. Since, a model with a 2.5-liter engine accelerates from zero to 100 in decent 9.2 seconds.

The Hybrid Version

Japanese trend for plug-in hybrid cars have influenced the new RAV4. The SUV of the type is equipped with a 2.5-liter petrol engine as well as an electric motor. The power of the crossover, while the combined use of power units, reaches up to an impressive 190 hp with a fuel consumption of less than 4.5 liters per 100 kilometers.

The Price

Toyota Motor Corporation promises to release the novelty on the market as soon as in the last decade of 2016, but a plug-in hybrid version will appear on the market much earlier. The price of the restyled crossover is significantly higher than that of the predecessor. The accepting of orders for the purchase of Japanese novelty has already started in October, the prices are as follows: